1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pet door, and in particular, a pet door having multiple horizontally hinged or pivotable flap sections, and also, a plastic door section containing a pet door for installation in a sliding door.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pet doors have been used for quite a long time. Some are installed in walls, some in solid doors, and some in panels that fit in screen or sliding doors. Typical pet doors have a frame or jamb, and a pivotable flap which swings in or out. To get outside, the dog or animal simply walks into the flap and continues walking. The flap rotates upward as the dog pushes on the flap, thus opening the door. The dog may go back through the door to get inside by using the same technique. This time the door will pivot upward in the opposite direction to the way it pivoted when the dog went outside.
The typical flap is a single plastic or vinyl sheet, which is usually rigid. A problem can occur if a dog starts to walk through, and then changes its mind and tries to go backward. The dog can wedge its legs between the door frame and the plastic flap.
The typical flap also does not always return to the center and sealed position in the door, and is not well insulated, and has edges that can hurt a dog because of its rigidity.
Another problem with pet doors is locating them. Often it is undesirable to mount them in a wall, because that may require drywall repair, painting and possibly other work. Pet doors are sometimes sold pre-mounted in a sliding door insert, i.e., a segment of door that forms part of a sliding door. Examples of this type of pet door structure are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,551,188 to Davlantes, 3,811,224 to Garrison, 5,946,855 to Miconi, 3,654,733 to Blackwell, 6,691,483 to Lethers, 3,464,158 to Greene, and 5,185,954 to Waddle, Sr. Such doors can require cumbersome mounting or can look unsightly. In addition, they tend to be heavy.
What is needed is an aesthetically pleasing door segment that has a built in pet door, which is lightweight yet strong, easy to install, and universally fits into most or all sliding doors.